Today the Sun enters Capricorn, parallels Venus, conjoins Saturn, and falls at the midpoint of the South Node and Jupiter (and so sesquiquadrates the North Node). This collection of contacts tells us who we are, specifically what we have created in the real world, in terms of both our personal character and our accomplishments, an appropriate assessment and review as we stand on the cusp of the Mercury direction. This happens naturally; the mind goes toward measuring quality and status, particularly in concrete, quantifiable terms. The influences on this process involve our values and our internal wisdom and practicality (Venus trine Pallas), which work together to create an accurate portrait of what we have become. Believe your own Self-assessment; you’re on solid ground with it, as long as you don’t succumb to rationalization or a denial of instincts (Venus qnx Sedna).

Today’s word image is a hot air balloon floating over a prairie at dawn. Does this signal adventure to you, ‘rising above’, ‘getting a bird’s eye view’, freedom, or is it frightening, something that could suddenly go out from under you and plunge you to earth? Is it transportation, romantic, impractical, or just fun? Or does it suggest something (an idea, a personality) inflated on ‘hot air’, that can’t travel on bombast forever? For some reason I’m seeing this symbol as something to be interpreted personally, as if only the individual associations have valid meaning–so it’s your call completely.